The inclusion of Marcus Santos-Silva into the NCAA Basketball transfer portal gives teams another shot at a quality big. Who is in the running for the former VCU forward?
With Purdue big man Matt Haarms going to BYU and off the list of possible NCAA Basketball transfer free agents, the pool of impact frontcourt players got more shallow. However, teams still looking for a starting big man for next season are encouraged by the news that VCU center Marcus Santos-Silva has entered the portal.
The 6’7, 250-pound big man has been a starter for the Rams in the past couple of seasons. This year, he led the team in both points (12.8 ppg) and rebounds (8.9 rpg). He started out with a dominant 21-point and 18-rebound performance against Saint Francis (PA) and had several other big games, including going for 26 and 12 versus George Mason and 24 points against Duquesne.
More of a throwback frontcourt player, Santos-Silva doesn’t space the floor or shoot from the outside but instead, is an efficient big from inside and can be dominant when given the ball. Considering how slow-paced VCU can be on offense, the junior forward’s numbers could be even better in another situation.
We’ll find out next season, now that Santos-Silva has moved on from the Rams. And he’s already announced a list of six teams in the running to land him. It was interesting to see the Kentucky Wildcats, who missed out on Haarms, not be one of the programs in the running. But maybe they can come out of nowhere to grab him, as Louisville did with Charles Minlend.
Which of the teams are in the best position to land him? Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of each potential situation, along with how much Santos-Silva would benefit.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
After missing out on Matt Haarms as well, Texas Tech finds themselves right back into the picture for another frontcourt prospect. They look to improve their frontcourt standing this season, considering that their starting forward Chris Clarke, was technically their lead guard and passer. They lost TJ Holyfield to graduation and Russel Tchewa to the portal, leaving just Andrei Savrasov and Joel Ntambwe, who averaged 11.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg as a freshman at UNLV.
The Red Raiders did land JUCO transfer forward Esahia Nyiwe but it’s unknown how much he’ll contribute to the team next year. They could really use a center who can rebound and defend, making Santos-Silva an ideal fit for them. He and Ntambwe would work just fine, as the former Rebel shot 44/114 (39%) from three-point range two years ago and can be even better. With him at the power forward spot and Santos-Silva at the center position, Texas Tech will have both offense and defense secured in the frontcourt in 2020-21.
The Red Raiders have enjoyed a recent run of transfer players. Whether it’s Matt Mooney, Tariq Owens, and both Holyfield and Clarke from last year, incoming veterans won’t have to worry about fitting in Chris Beard’s system. They already landed point guard Jamarius Burton from Wichita State and want one more addition to solidifying a top-10 team for next season.
Of all the options, Arizona State and Texas Tech represent the best chances to win big next year. And with Romello White’s situation still up in the air with the Sun Devils, the Red Raiders currently looks like the ideal landing spot for Santos-Silva. But could they go 0-2 after losing out on Haarms?
